Ecosystems

Genetics

Scientists Say: Evolution

Evolution is how species change over time. Individuals in the group vary, and some will pass on their genes. Over time, the whole species changes.

Animals

Analyze This: Ropes restore a gibbon highway through a rainforest

When endangered Hainan gibbons started making risky leaps across an area mowed down by a landslide, researchers provided them a rope bridge.

Environment

Jumping ‘snake worms’ are invading U.S. forests

These bad-news invaders are spreading across the United States. As they turn forest debris into bare ground, soils and ecosystems are changing.

Environment

Polluting microplastics harm both animals and ecosystems

Researchers are beginning to uncover the real-world impacts of polluting microplastic bits on animals and the ecosystems they inhabit.

Plants

The faster trees grow, the younger they die

As climate change spurs forest tree growth, it also shortens trees’ lives. That results in a quicker release of climate-warming carbon back into the atmosphere.

Animals

Whales get a second life as deep-sea buffets

When a whale dies and sinks to the seafloor, it becomes a feast for hundreds of different types of creatures.

Ecosystems

Scientists Say: Desert

Deserts are ecosystems that get less than 250 millimeters (10 inches) of precipitation per year.

Animals

A wasp nibbled a baby bird for breakfast

Scientists found an injured baby bird in a nest they were studying. The culprit wasn’t another bird or a reptile. It was a wasp.

Ecosystems

Soggy coastal soils? Here’s why ecologists love them

Coastal wetlands can protect our shores from erosion, flooding and rising sea levels.

Plants

‘Vampire’ parasite challenges the definition of a plant

Langsdorffia are stripped down to their essentials. Lacking green leaves for photosynthesis, they steal energy and nutrients from other plants.

Animals

Are coyotes moving into your neighborhood?

How do coyotes survive in New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago? Researchers and citizen scientists are working together to find answers.

Environment

Busy beavers may be speeding thaw of Arctic permafrost

As climate change continues, busy beavers are expanding their range in Alaska. Their dams could further speed the loss of permafrost there and promote local warming.